Core

Core is the industrial heart of the Tau Ceti IV settlement and the narrative center of Marathon's Season 1 story. The map encompasses the massive processing facilities, automated conveyor systems, ore refineries, and corporate research labs that power the colony's economy — most of which are now occupied by UESC AI constructs and compromised MEKA drones. Core is the most complex map in terms of vertical layout, with multiple floor levels connected by elevators, maintenance shafts, and industrial freight systems that create engagement scenarios impossible on the other three maps.

The Jjaro Artifact — the central plot object of Season 1 — is located somewhere in Core's most restricted sections, and its presence makes the map the highest-priority deployment zone for runners pursuing story content. All six factions have operations in Core, making it the most faction-contract-dense environment in Marathon. Sekiguchi dominates the industrial lower levels while CyberAcme controls the research sections in the upper floors, and their ongoing conflict for zone control creates contract opportunities for runners willing to serve either master.

Key Zones

• Sekiguchi Main Processing Plant — highest overall loot concentration; major Sekiguchi contract location
• CyberAcme Server Farm — data retrieval objectives; high tech-item loot density
• Jjaro Artifact Site — restricted access requiring locked room keys; elite-tier enemies guard S-tier loot
• Refinement Level B3 — underground section; tight quarters heavily favoring SMGs and shotguns

Strategic Notes

Core rewards runners who understand its vertical layout. The difference between ground level and the upper research floors is dramatic in terms of both enemy difficulty and loot quality. New runners should start in the outer processing sections and work inward and upward as their confidence grows. The Artifact Site is end-game territory — bring a full squad, best weapons, and NuCaloric consumables before attempting it.